by Vernon Huffman

Created on: October 30, 2007

I've known cyclists who don't want any extra weight on the bike. A seat pack with a cell phone and a credit card is all some riders carry, no matter how long the tour. On the other hand, I've known cyclists who can completely disassemble and rebuild any bike from the frame up with the kit they routinely carry any time they leave home on bike.

Most of us are somewhere in between, but I'll acknowledge being a lot closer to the latter cyclist than the former, if only because my credit card weighs less (you know what I mean). This article is about my tool kit. I also carry a first aid kit, camping gear, extra clothes, food, water, and a portable office when I bicycle across country, but this article is only about bike tools.

It is important to carry essential parts, appropriately sized for your bike, to replace whatever may break. At least one tube, a folder tire, a few spokes of each length (front wheel & each side of rear), cables (brake & gear), a box of spare mounting bolts, and brake shoes will fit into a garbage bag bungeed onto your rack. If you don't have sealed bearings, put a set of replacement bearings into a zip-lock bag of grease as well. Wherever you go and whatever else you carry, these few items will get you safely to the next bike shop.

Duct tape, safety pins, zip ties, hose clamps and parachute cord can also be worthwhile. Most of these items will probably be more useful for repairing bags and gear than for the bike itself. I should explain how I've used hose clamps, because the typical bicycle doesn't have hoses. A bent or broken tube or rack rod can be splinted with a bolt or steel rod and two hose clamps. I've ridden hundreds of miles on a fix like this.

Generally frame mounted emergency pumps are good enough, but they tend to wear out on extended cross continental tours. A full sized shop floor pump with gage and super-head (I prefer Presta valves, but sometimes can only get Schrader) is not a prohibitively big item when packing a cross-bag or trailer. It's nice to be able to top off your tire pressure with ease.

I carry a Leatherman multi-tool and a set of folding allen wrenches mounted on my handlebar, because I use them all the time. Under my seat, I have a more complete kit, including a full set of L-allens, which will fit places the folding set won't. I carry two 6" crescents, two thin spanners, a set of tire levers, a patch kit, and a four oz bottle of bike oil. My replaceable head driver has a hollow handle to fit all the heads I need. I have an eight-way spoke wrench and a hyper-cracker. This handy tool will allow me to remove my freewheel cassette by leveraging the wheel against the frame, saving space that would be needed for a socket, 12" crescent, and chain-whip normally used by bike shops.
A rag is often needed for cleaning the bike, especially for removing grit from the chain and gears. I use those compressed camp towels for this purpose, after they've served me for a few showers and drying my cookware. I keep a small tube of waterless hand cleaner, such as you can buy from an auto parts store.

I don't carry a chain-breaker, because I have a key link on my chain. Certain star drivers, deep sockets, and other tools may be appropriate for your rig, but not mine. While other cyclists are welcome to use my tools, I can't be responsible for preparing to meet their needs.

Toolkits reflect the tastes of the mechanic as much as the specificity of tasks they're designed for. What works for me may not approximate what you need, but I hope opening it up for you has given you ideas as you build your own kit. Happy cycling!

Learn more about this author, Vernon Huffman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.